well had a bit more time in the garage and here are some of the results.Front end on and sitting on its wheels for the first time.

test fitted the fire box doors

then on to fitting the hornplates I decided to do it the way suggested in the instructions ie lift the whole lot but with the bolts loosened on the left hand side. in this picture those of you who have done this will know the way I have the boiler supported will not work!the reason being that the hornplates when fitted are lower than the boiler foundation ring so having supports sticking out the sides holds the hornplates too high.eventually I got the 12 bolts fitted.

then came trying to align the hornplates I thought I would try the idea of supporting the weight on the axle as this would be a natural position once on its wheels. I used the engine hoist to lift the entire rear end with the hownplates bolts just slack.I spent what seemed like ages trying to get the alignment to work so decided to do something simple and fitted the chimney on to complete the front end.After much fidling and use of the adjustment screws on the left hand bearing I got the hornplates done up tight and still able to just turn the alingment tool.next came fitting the tender this is getting exciting as it is, after 15 months, beginning to look like a traction engine. This is how I lifted the tender using strops on the engine crane.Finally all fitted.I have blacked the fire doors and mechanism also the steering chains and smoke box door darrt bolt. I have been wondering how to black the steering column and fire damper rod, need to find a long narrow tray, have decided a length of guttering will do nicely. I have the belly tank and cleading available to fit but will probably try to get the first piece of the cleading o=around the man hole trimmed before fitting the belly tank.

So that is as far as I have got todate.

Really nice to see it looking like an engine, I may pop the rear wheels on next weekend just to get it rolling.

Watch the rear wheels when on the axle before you have any packing as they will track inwards and mash the brake blocks on the nicely painted rivets.Couple bits of 2" drain pipe will remove the problem and a small bit of 10mm bar to stop the wheel tracking off the axle.

With a couple of large brass home made washers this is how Crystal got pulled round the ring at Castle Fraser.

Spent some more time on Sunday fitting the rear wheels. Off side went on OK slid past the brake block, but the NS would not go on as the brake block would not back off enough to allow the wheel to fit. I remembered that the brake shaft had been modified by STW and a second location had been made the insrtuctions say do not use the red markered key way and have this on the left. Had I got it wrong? No it was fitted as per the instructions, on checking and measuring the alignment of the key ways it became clear the wrong keyway had been painted red. So I reversed the fitting and used the red keyway and the NS wheel slid on, well with a bit of a struggle.

just a few pictures to update where I am with the build have fitted the belly tank but managed to scrape the paint when it slipped off the trolley jack whiclt trying to postion it. Fitted the steering I blacked everything but forgot the pins through the front axle. something else to do over the Christmas break.NOvembers kit arrived in Dec and was kit 23 not what I had expected but the first of the gears, the delivery man had it balanced on his shoulder and turning purple with the effort, the box says 37kg but it felt a whole lot heavier than that. I have now got all three planet wheels fitted and they spin nice and smoothly but as the instructions say the holes for them may need opening up they did, took me all of Saturday to acheive this. I read the comments on previuos posts that a shim was needed to hold the wheel out from the centre. mine needed a slight polish on the bush to get them in the hole so no shims needed there is no slack on the spindle. Have decided to paint the parts prior to test fitting on the axle as the engine is sitting on its wheels and I do not have the 2 outer thrust washers in the kit.

I have found that I do not need any spacers on the inner bevel in fact the thrust washer could do with being slimmer a bit to remove all the slack in the bevel to planet wheel gears. But overall I am very impressed with the smoothness of turning the inner bevel on the planet wheels, no notchiness at all.

I have also been fitting the 2nd shaft gears and found the square drive end of the shaft is not quite central as Brian mentions in one of his posts. Currently only a slight stiff radius for about 30degrees so am now reasonably happy the shaft actually eases up when both end bolts are tightened fully.

Just been looking at your pics and noticed you have the damper rod held on with a split pin. I would suggest you use a R clip or even easier U shaped bit of wire. As you may want to remove the pan in a hurry. Where you need to take the damper rod off first.

Lynn you spotted the split pin in the damper rod. this was changed last weekend to an R clip much easier when dropping the ash pan out. I spent quite a while trying to get the ashpan tight to the foundation ring to try and get a good seal so I would have more control over the fire. but when it was tight the damper plate was jammed and would not open, so I have lowered the front of the ashpan slightly to free it up.

Rob the drive pin took me less than an hour to do just the knob, that was doing it twice as I was not completly happy with having removed the machining marks the first time just means I will spend more time on the first stage ie 80grit mop to remove them when doing the remaining three pins. I used the Frost polishing kit, having seen how well the steel work has come up I may have a go at some of the other steel items rather than having them bright nickel plated. Only concern may be rust but time will tell.

The pictures show the blue as being lighter than in day light must be the flash settings. My colour scheme is very simple, I really do take my hat off to everyone on here and what they are doing with the complex detailed lining schemes.

It seems impossible to stop greasy finger marks from showing up in the pictures and some odd reflections on my pictures.

Ian

Last edited by IanL on Wed 09 Jan 2013, 6:36 pm; edited 1 time in total

Hi Ian - looks very nice. as has been said on here many times before, they all do.

Trust me when I say greasy finger marks will be the last thing you think about as soon as you light the first fire in the box, as Highpressure, Lynn and myself will testify!!! Don't worry about it, just enjoy driving it.

finally got around to taking some photos, not done much the last few months too cold in a north facing garage.

The water pump arrived a few months ago so have assembled that and really enjoyed doing it. not got around to painting it yet but the drive eccentric and rod was very easy to fit as I do not have the crank. Still waiting for Steve to supply the modified oiler mount which he said he had forgotten for the Road loco guys.

The weighshaft arrived in Feb so have dropped that in place but cannot align it as I still have no cylinder, hopefully later this month

I have dropped it back on its wheels now that the diff and drive gears are fitted, at least I can move it around the garage. and have tried to extracate the swarf from inside the boiler I have a growing pot of the stuff and may post a photo of it when I remember but it looks the same as Robs incase you need to see.

I have the pressure gauage to fit but was wondering what others have done in way of preparing the wooden plinth?

Have done a bit of fishing in the boiler for swarf. discovered you cannot get a magnet very far into the boiler around the firebox so tried a length of copper wire with a hook bent on it. then used an air compressor to blow into the boiler this resulted in picking up quite a lot of smaller bits. I left the magnet in one of the firebox blow down holes.

some of them were really long.

The copper penny was not in the boiler but it does stick to the magnet, honest.

Ian

With the price of copper now so high then new pennies and two ps are made from steel. As the old 2 pee actually was worth 4 pence as scrap metal and hence why so many disappeeared!!

the cylinder was this months delivery so fitted it last weekend and have tightenen it down each day for two days I was surprised how much it would tighten after 24 hours. The Foliac grease really was being squeezed out.

Have painted up the water pump eccentric and took the oppourtunity to polish the piston. When I first fitted it the machining of the piston had left ridges along the shaft and you could feel these as the piston slid in and out of the gland packing. Now that it is polished this slides silky smooth.The two govenor pulleys are visible at the top of the picture.

Finally fitted to the engine along with the oiler with modified connector. Thanks Steve for supplying this.

Now need to remove and add the insulation, Oh and to repaint the section that slipped and fell to the floor. I had put a piece of carpet underneath but I dropped the spanner in my hand as well and now have a chunk taken out of the paint.

Will be at Banbury on Saturday after all as my wifes op has been cancelled. See some of you there.